Slave Transactions in the De Lancey Family Papers

The following are transactions documented in the Bills of sale in the De Lancey Family Papers, Museum of the City of New York. The compilation and commentary is from the Mamaroneck History Facebook page

  • 1793 March 29: Margaret (Peg) 10 yrs old, $30 – for life – from Charity & Jonathon Purdy, Executors of Joseph Purdy’s estate (White Plains)
  • 1793 April 13: Report: “Slave given to Elizabeth Delancey, John Peter’s wife.”
  • 1795 June 30: Tom 15 yrs old, $85 – for life – from Benjamin Decker of Northfield, Richmond County (Staten Island)
  • 1796 September 07: Simon (Sime) 25 yrs old, $100 – for life – from Abraham Van Alen of Kinderhook, Columbia County (upstate almost to Albany) Simon escapes in 1809 as documented in 1809 Runaway Notice John P. De Lancey pursues Sam or Simon Woodbeck.
  • 1797 March 24: Peter 45 yrs old, wife [Hannah?] 35 yrs old, Abraham 5 yrs old, Sam 9 mths old, $180 – for life – from Valentine Nutter of New York City
  • 1797 April 13:  Description & Reward for a runaway slave, Simon. Simon also escapes in 1809 as documented in 1809 Runaway Notice John P. De Lancey pursues Sam or Simon Woodbeck.
  • 1798 August: 10 Phebe 16 yrs old, $60 from H. G. Livingston of New York City
  • 1803 March 30: Jack Purdy 30 yrs old, purchased for 5 years from Hakaliah Purdy
  • 1804 February 07: Nanny (Nan) 22 and her baby sold to Bartholemew Ward of Mamaroneck
  • 1805 April 22: Nanny 23 yrs old, and infant, $80 purchased for 5 years, back from Bartholemew Ward.
  • 1806 April 14:  Betty Halley 16 yrs old, $125 purchased for 8 years from Ruth Ward, Eastchester. “Which manumission is to take place at the end of eight years from the first day of May next, which will be in the year one thousand eight hundred and fourteen – provided, however, if the maid Betty should have a child or children during her servitude she will serve one additional year for every child before she is entitled to her freedom, a witness my hand and seal this fourteenth day of April, 1806.” Signed, J.P. De Lancey
  • 1806 May: Lewis, boy, $250 purchased for 12 years.
  • 1807 May 14: Betty Halley sold to Peter Underhill
  • 1809: Mike (Michael), boy, $100 purchased for 5 years, 8 mths.
  • 1809 March 02: This entry is NOT about J.P. De Lancey. “I just thought you might like to know that Jack Purdy, former “time servant” of J.P. De Lancey (purchased for five years in 1803) fathered a daughter Eliza with Gilbert Budd’s slave Bet.” This suggests that, now a freeman, Jack remained in Mamaroneck.